Detrimental Effects of Air Pollution on Our Cultural Properties: Historical Monuments

Abstract

The increasing negative effect of air pollution on our cultural heritage, due to our need of energy and industrial development, has the last century caused various problems for conservators and restaurators. Cultural value created by our ancestors, and represent every sphere of their activities, including: political, economic, cultural, industrial activities as well as their daily life. Cultural properties are an essential part of our world; from them we get information about our culture, history, ideas and technologies that we can use as a basis for considering our present and future, our society and culture. Among the various types of cultural properties, the palpable cultural properties – buildings, handicrafts, paintings, statues, ancient documents, antiquities, materials of folk history and so on – are made of a variety of materials like stone wood, metal, textiles, paper and leather, or a combination of these materials. With the passage of time and the effect of various external factors such as the changes in moisture and humidity, formation of mould, insect attack, changes in temperature, ultraviolet rays and so on, materials will gradually deteriorate, causing irreparable damages to the relic. This kind of natural deterioration of cultural heritage can be stopped by using traditional repair techniques and through the application of chemical preservatives such as synthetic resins. Therefore, cultural properties can be restored and protected in most circumstances. However, in current years the deterioration of our cultural heritage caused by acid rain and various other forms of atmospheric pollution has become a serious problem. Numerous air pollutants cause the fading, discolouring, corrosion, or deterioration of the materials from which these cultural properties are made. Atmospheric pollution penetrates into many places and affect our cultural properties badly. Now, more than ever, these cultural properties are in danger of destruction. By keeping this critical and alarming situation in view in mind, this paper focuses on how all these forms of corrosion affect building materials and historical structures. It also tries to bring awareness among the stakeholders of the environment and national heritage.